Best Beaches in the United States

Now I'm no Dr. Beach, and neither do I have access to the tools and equipment and research data that he has as a Director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, but I do know a fair bit about beaches, having spent scandalous amounts of time on sandy beaches and piers in a daze of beer and sun soaked lethargy.

Let's just say that if Dr. Beach is a beach engineer, then I'm a beach mechanic. First one to say beach bum will be cursed with rain pouring down on all your future vacations. :) Anyways, here's a hands-on surf's-up take of the best beaches in the U.S.

Of all the beaches, famous or otherwise, that the Pacific Coast offers, one name keeps cropping up - Coronado Beach in San Diego. Beautiful it is, and offers all the amenities and stuff that make it a prime attraction. But what makes this particular beach so special?

For starters, consider the location. Coronado is actually connected to San Diego by a narrow strip called the Silver Strand. The view of the San Diego skyline and the Bay, especially in the evenings, is worth something all by itself. Secondly, Coronado is not just about the beach. It has some pretty historic landmarks, like the Hotel del Coronado. Then there's the pier, the waterfront park, the Farmers Market at Ferry Landing Place. Its also a location for regular entertianment events like concerts and shows. And if you're the kind of who thinks Navy Seals practising their stuff is cool, then there's also North Island Naval Air Station.

As for the beach itself, the prime location along Ocean Blvd, and ability to accomodate large crowds (the flat beach stretches for 1.5 miles along the shore) and volleyball setups makes it a popular place to hang out and for contests and games and shows. Lots of space for parking anywhere you want, no alcohol allowed, fire rings, and a grassy area at the north end for picnic spreads makes it even more attractive for families. The crowds are pretty well behaved, and there's all kinds of people here, all doing their own thing.

All said and done, the beach is clean and spacious, well patrolled by the life guards, and best thing is that the beach community, with all the attractions and entertainment and restaurants and shops and stuff, doesn't actually commercialize or intrude on the experience of the beach. It still retains a small town atmosphere, which is pretty amazing. All of this put together makes Coronado a prime candidate for the best beach in the U.S.

Photo by rjs1322 via flickr (creative commons). Nags Head is one of those beach communities where time stands still. This is generally true of most of the Outer Banks Islands, but Nags Head seems to have a special poignant quality to it. No high rise resorts under development, no rock concerts, no signs of resurgent modernity. Instead, what you have is mile after mile after mile of sand with the waves crashing in on one side and sand dunes undulating gently up and down on the other. Were it not for the occasional speck of humanity dotting the coast, this 100 mile stretch of sand would be the beach utopia that Leonardo DiCaprio longs for in the movie 'The Beach'.

Highly accessible, bonfires allowed (with permit), and vacation rentals are preferred over hotels. This has the double advantage of offering a means of income for the local community while keeping out the big name chain hotels and all the resulting commercialization. If you're looking for an extended family beach vacation, or a restful week without any urban bedlam, then Nags Beach is where you want to be at.

Now this one heck of a kid friendly beach. Hutchinson Island, north of Palm Beach, is highly popular as it is, for beach vacations. What makes Bathtub Beach, on North Hutchinson Island, Florida, so special is that it is protected by a natural barrier of coral reefs, which creates a kind of idyllic lagoon on this stretch of the beach. If you have little kids and you want to let them fool around in the water, you couldn't ask for a more perfect or safer location.

The beach has just reponed in June after being closed for months to fix the natural erosion. Its not as great as it was before (there's still some work in progress), but its still a great spot for the entire family. Snorkelling is a kinda big thing because of the reef. There's also plenty of trails for long walks.

Now I'd like to go on and on like this, but I'm afraid if you're still reading this, then you need to get a life, same as me. :) So I'll bring this to a close with some more beaches I find to be a cut above the rest.

Looking for rare shells and other stuff which you can find on beaches? Go to Sanibel Island, Florida. Love nature walks and birds and whales? Go to Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Surf crazy? Huntington Beach, CA. Gambling addict but tired of Vegas? Go to Atlantic City, NJ. Love your dog more than your children? Take your pet to Dog Beach at Ocean Beach in San Diego, CA. Looking for a Hawaii beach vacation, but no idea of which of the islands is the best place? Kaanapali Beach, Maui, HI.